Beyond Phnom Penh’s Russian Market, the hippest neighbourhood in Cambodian capital bursts with cafes, bars and boutiques
- The Toul Tom Poung neighbourhood has risen to become one of the Cambodian capital’s coolest areas
- Home to Russian Market, the area is now famed for its boutique bars, unique eateries and inspiring entrepreneurs
Ai Bounnareth flashes a smile before disappearing behind the battered counter of his coffee stall. The sound of coffee beans being ground drowns out the cacophony of dealmaking at the surrounding stalls in the Cambodian capital’s Russian Market.
Bounnareth has been serving his now world-famous coffee from his small market stall, Best Iced Coffee, since 1981. Laminated notes of praise that have been left by guests from across the globe, are displayed on his stall. The Cambodian’s charisma, and his top-notch local coffee, have made him one of the neighbourhood’s favourite figures.
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“The market was very different then,” says Bounnareth, recalling a time when Russian Market, known locally as Phsar Toul Tom Poung, was an open-air, chaotic spot far from the tourist attraction it is today. “There was no roof and the place was messy.”
Until recently, Russian Market – the name used by foreigners because it was mainly visited by Russian expats during the 1980s – was the sole reason for tourists to visit the neighbourhood in the south of Phnom Penh, which lacked amenities and activities geared towards tourists.
The Toul Tom Poung neighbourhood would go quiet once the market – which sells souvenirs, clothes, electrical items, trinkets and much else besides – closed for the evening.
However, the area has undergone a rapid transformation over the past few years and has emerged as Phnom Penh’s hippest neighbourhood. Its quirky collection of restaurants, bars, cafes and boutiques is constantly growing as more businesses try to set up shop.
